Dai Language Tetrasyllabic The Study

This thesis is mainly based on the Dai language material of four syllable expressions from Xishuang Banna. It applies theories and methods of structural linguistics, cultural linguistics and chaos theory to analyse systematically the characteristics and functions of four syllable expressions in Dai language, to discuss the linguistic quality of four syllable expressions in Dai language and to explore the relation between four syllable expressions in Dai language and Dai culture.This means research on three different levels. The research on the later levels are based on the foundation of research on the former levels. The characteristics of four syllable expressions in Dai language are an organizing and summarizing of the objective language material. The linguistic quality of the four syllable expressions in Dai language is a rational understanding of the objective language phenomena guided by certain theories. The relation of four syllable expressions and Dai culture is the concrete application and development of the theories of cultural linguistics.This thesis contains seven chaptersThe first chapter is the introduction. It gives a short outline of the geographical environment and the cultural history of the Dai nationality, the situation of Dai language and script, the basic situation of foursyllable expressions and the line of thoughts leading through the research of this thesis.The second chapter is about the characteristics and functions of four syllable expressions. It primarily describes the linguistic characteristics of the phonology, structure and meaning of four syllable expressions in Dai language and explores the role and function of four syllable expressions in syntax and application.The third chapter, the linguistic understanding of four syllable expressions in Dai language, is a discussion of the linguistic quality of four syllable expressions in Dai language. For a better understanding of the linguistic quality of four syllable expressions in Dai language, this thesis draws on experiences of chaos theoretical methods and theories. First, starting from the entirety, this thesis compares the four syllable expressions in Dai language with four syllable expressions in other language of the Chinese-Tibetan language family and finds an identity in their essence. Next is tried to apply the chaos theoretical concepts of "attractors" and "dynamic systems" to give rational explanations of the complex appearance of the characteristics of the four syllable expressions in Dai language. At last, the four syllable expressions are compared with words and phrases on the basis of the former research, thus giving an rather convincing answer about the linguistic quality of four syllable expressions in Dai language.The fourth chapter is about the origin of four syllable expressions in Dai language; it is about the concrete understanding of the cultural natureof four syllable expressions in Dai language. This thesis first analyses reasons for the origin of four syllable expressions and states, the objective reason for the origin of four syllable expressions is the development of society and the changes in the vocabulary of the language. The linguistic form of the four syllable expressions is the result chosen by language history, because this form does not only serve the memorizing, but also improves the efficiency of expression. The four syllable expressions in Dai language emerged within Dai culture and Dai Buddhism, Dai literature, cultural exchange with different nationalities, and aesthetic feeling might all have had their influences on the development of four syllable expressions. The four syllable expressions in Dai language are the unification of the dialectics of the characteristics of common four syllable expressions and the characteristics of Dai culture. The four syllable expressions in Dai language are formed on the basis of already existing language material. Reduction, combination, repetition, complement, phonetic transformation, interpolation are common methods of forming four syllable expressions in Da...